So I've been bouldering for years, and finally aquired enough equipment for rapelling and top rope climbing.I've got the harness, carabiner, atc belay device, and 11mm rope.

Only problem is, l have been unsuccessful finding instructions for the proper way to set it up.The employees at my particular REl branch knew nothing, I've searched online but onlysite I've found pretty much just says something along the lines of ''this is something you need to learn in person, not online''.And all the books I've found have so many hundereds of knots its overwhelming.l just want the common basic ones.

Maybe I am just hard headed, but l do not wanna have to pay for lessons, or go out and find a professional, l just wanna know how to prepare the most common and widely used setup for these to things.

1. Rapelling.l already know how to feed the rope through the belay, carabiner, and back out the belay, but what l do not know is (continued in a moment)
(continued from above).
What l do not know is what is how to incorporate any backup safety knot for if you were to loose grip with your brake hand.l know there are probably 25 backup knots, but I'd just like to know the most common and widely used, and see a picture of the setup or a how to.

The other thing I'd like to know is..

2. Top rope climbing.I'd like to know how to set it up where l do not need any person to belay for me.I am guessing there is a setup where you just have the rope secured at the top, and as your climbing, every couple of feet you pull the rope through your belay device to shorten it up, but in such a way that it would lock in a fall.What is the safe and most common way to set this up?

Thanks.

As l understand your issue .you want to do rappelling with a safe not in place. best knott is a loose PRUSSIK.
Otheriwse- we always trust our RAPPEL STATION and do not make tough knotts in high altitude. High altitude effects judgment and this is why we use mostly FIGURE OF 8 with CARABINERS or CLOVE HITCH.

If u really want to know how to set an anchor for rapelling or top roping without learning it from someone that knows how, l would suggest ''How to Climb'' & ''Climbing Anchors'' by John Long. l learned a lot from these books.

The best way to learn is to be taught by someone that u trust. l found some climbers at work that l learned from as we climbed together. If u do not have any partners at work, join a climbing gym & meet some other climbers. You will usually find a more experienced climber that wants to lead that can teach u how to do things.

Specifically, for ur questions:

1. Yes, a prussick tied from ur harness to the rope above ur rapel device would provide a backup. I've never heard of anyone doing this & it would backup ur grip & the rapel device only (not the anchor or the rope). Rapelling requires u to be completely dependand on ur gear which is why most climbers hate rapelling - it is one of the most dangerous things to do when climbing.

2. Top Rope by yourself is possible with an auto locking belay device (like the ''soloist'') & is a very special set of skills that few will be able to help u with. Some do this with a ''GriGri'' but it is NOT designed for that use.

Good Luck

To back up ur rappel, use a prussic knot tied with a short piece of cordolette, which is first tied into a sling using a double fisherman is knot. Tie the prussic around the part of the rope that will feed out of the atc as u descend, & attach with a biner to the leg loop of ur harness. Hold the knot loosely with u left hand so that it slides, while u control the rappel with ur right hand. If u let go it locks up. Some people tie it to the other end of the rope, it is a matter of preference.

For solo top-roping, Tahoe has it right, the GriGri is not intended for solo belay, so get yourself a Soloist. Be prepared with gear & knowledge to descend or ascend the rope if a situation arises. You can also lead with these devices!

There r lots of good books out there, u should even be able to find them at the public library. How to Climb & Climbing Anchors r great, as Tahoe mentioned, also Mountaineering: The Freedom Of The Hills, is a standard read.

Learn how to build anchors that r redundant & ''bomb-proof'' rather than simply sufficient. Do not u have any bouldering pals that climb with ropes?

Hi there,
the previous replies have some decent advice, especially when it suggests that u hook up with experienced climbers to show u the ropes for a while before soloing. l had been climbing a number of years before l decided to get into soloing. u do need to realize that soloing in any way safe is quite labor intensive & takes a lot of gear. there r at least two different ways to solo with protection; one is by setting up a top rope & using a device like a soloist & another is actually lead climbing using a more reliable belaying device. when l lead climb l use a device called 'the silent partner'. its a rather bulky belaying device that mounts on ur harness & pulls the rope thru but will lock up reliably if & when u take a fall. in a sense its similar to top roping only u have to set up ur belay anchors at ur starting point, not the top of the route. what makes it more adventuresome than top-rope soloing is the fact u r setting protection anchors as u progress up the route. more gear needed plus l end up using ascenders, etriers, etc. for multi-pitch, which means loads of gear.

one thing l really want to add to what has been said previously.no matter what type of protected soloing u do u should always use a chest harness. i've seen more that one accident from people taking awkward falls soloing in a swami/legloop type harness & coming out of them from being upside down due to the nature of the belay device. until u have the confidence & skill to climb without protection at all do not solo in a regular harness. l know the temptation.i've done it myself any number of times but it is risky. then again i've soloed without protection numerous times but again it is risky. l scare myself sometimes thinking about some of the risks i've taken in the past. be smart! do it right.

p.s. l notice u did not list a climbing helmet in ur gear. smart climbers always wear a helmet.

OK first go back to RE l & get Mountaineering freedom of the Hills. It is the most comprehensive rock climbing & mountaineering book ever. It will explain with detailed pictures & notes how to safely accomplish what u have asked. On the last question about self belay top rope. It can be done but is usually a more advanced technique & use more in emergencies than anything else. l would suggest getting a partner to climb with before u attempt to teach yourself a self belay method. If u really really want to l would look into a self locking belay device, not an ATC. Something like a Petzl GriGri. But ur best bet l would highly recommend it.